The battle to save Cornwall's Supporting People services appears to be hotting up, where the council announced a 40% cut in funding.A campaign is underway, through such mediums as Twitter, to try to push Cornish councillors to change their minds amid evidence that some senior councillors are distinctly unhappy with the reasons for the cut.
The chair of Cornwall's Housing Strategy Delivery Group, Lib Dem Cllr Derris Watson, has written to leading campaigner John Coventry and said: "The government actually put £16.116m for Supporting People into the settlement and if the 11.6% damping figure is applied the resulting funding comes out at £14.246m. This equates to the specific grant funding for 2010/11 of £14.204m.
"The government obviously recognised Cornwall's problems with an ageing population and rural nature, which makes service delivery more expensive, in what is a very generous funding measure when most councils have taken a heavy cut.
"I was invited to attend the Commissioning Body meeting for which I am grateful and can appreciate the work underway to provide cost effective services.
"If the reviews of services had been completed, and the results and new service plans were in place, there might be a case for some small cuts to funding. However as none of this work is yet completed I believe the decision is not based on any evidence just a desire to use this money elsewhere.
"There is no way that efficiency savings can make up for a 40% cut in funding - however lean and smart the delivery there must be severe cuts to services."
She added: "The leader [of Cornwall County Council] stated that of the £175m which needs to be saved by Cornwall Council, 90% would be achieved through efficiencies and only 10% from front line services. He did not answer my question as to why therefore the Supporting People funding was being cut by 40%."
Will Cornwall bow to the pressure? On current form it's unlikely, though councillors will be under no illusion as to the attitude of government ministers and many locals.
Cornwall will point out, and I feel with justification, that it is under pressure to deliver major efficiencies and therefore has to retrench as a result of the cuts it has experienced in its overall settlement. Whether Cornish providers decide to go the legal route is debatable.
Coventry said: "The (Tory) administration is very much on the defensive, but by no means on the run."
As a government source has pointed out the government's localism bill will give people the power to trigger referendums on any local issue.
The results will not be binding - but local authorities will have to consider them when making decisions. The government said it will help people make their views known and influence decisions.
This will be too late for Cornwall and its Supporting People programme, but it may be a useful tool in future decisions.
Picture on Flickr.com courtesy of markhillary
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